A recent article in the Herald
on the new ABC logo contained an interview with the designer of the
original logo, Bill Kennard, senior graphic designer at the ABC from
1956 to 1974. The article prompted Bill's former colleague, Storry
Walton, to write to him recalling "the extraordinary quality of graphic
art you brought to the ABC and the exceptional stable of artists you
recruited".

This, the latest in a series of accolades that
accompanied every stage of Bill's career, eloquently summarises his
legacy. He was born in England in 1915. In the course of a
remarkable working life, which began as a 14-year-old apprentice
signwriter in the town of Ruislip, he became an award-winning graphic
designer, credited with creating one of the most recognisable and
enduring corporate identities in Australian history.

At 19, with his apprenticeship behind him, Bill accepted
a job as a set painter and decorator at Denham Film
Studios. It
was a burgeoning time for British film-making, and
Bill worked on many of the great films of the day, including Great
Expectations, In Which We Serve, The
39 Steps and the Olivier classics Hamlet
and Henry V. In later years he recalled watching
many of the stars at work, among them Marlene Dietrich, John Mills,
Charles Laughton, Noel Coward and James Mason.

In 1939 Bill enlisted in the RAF as a flight mechanic
and began the first of many postings across the UK. At war's
end he returned to the film industry, working
at Denham and Elstree Studios for a further four years before moving to
television as a graphic designer with the BBC. There he inherited a
tradition of excellence which was to be the benchmark for the remainder
of his career.

Recruited by Talbot Duckmanton, who visited the BBC
looking for talent for the fledgling Australian national broadcaster,
Bill arrived in Australia in 1956 accompanied by his wife and two
daughters. He began work at the ABC as senior graphic
designer,
though at the time he was the only employee of his department. Working
out of an office above a shop in Crows Nest, his first task was to
scour the country for suitably skilled staff.

Seeking artists, rather than technicians, and then only
those with the skills and vision capable of achieving real quality,
Bill managed to assemble an extraordinary pool of talent. Of the 100 or
more artists whose careers he nurtured during 17 years as head of the
ABC graphics department, many, including John Coburn, Tim Storrier and
photographer Wes Stacey, went on to make their mark in the wider sphere
of Australian art.

During this heady time, Bill and his department worked
under pressure to perform small miracles for the program makers of the
day. He recalled with amusement how he had once improvised a roller
caption machine out of two rolling pins and a gramophone motor. This
"emergency" solution was pressed into service for an entire year before
being replaced with the real thing.

As the years passed, Bill continued to steer his
department towards excellence, fostering teamwork and matching talent
to the tasks at hand. He encouraged team members to enter
their work into
industry exhibitions, winning, in 1963, a special award from the ACIAA
(Australian Commercial and Industrial Artists Association) for the
outstanding excellence of his team's entry.

The ABC had been unsuccessfully searching for a
definitive corporate logo for two years when it accepted Bill's design
in 1965. His Lissajous figure, derived from an oscilloscope waveform
for measuring radio and television frequencies, was a masterpiece of
style and simplicity. "Crisp, functional and of its age," as it was heralded
at the time, it remains instantly recognisable and fondly regarded by
Australians everywhere. The ABC, who paid £25 for Bill's
efforts, must surely regard it as one of their better investments.

Although ill health forced his departure from the ABC in
1974, in retirement Bill continued to live an active and happy life,
indulging his passions for music, painting, model-making, golf and
travel. His death last month brought many tributes from industry
colleagues acknowledging his role in promoting excellence in graphic
design during the formative days of Australian television. This was
surely his greatest achievement.

For most of us, however, Bill lives on in that funny
little squiggle we know so well. As tributes go, I'm sure he wouldn't
have minded that at all.

Bill Kennard is survived by his daughters, Jacqueline
and Shirley, and grandchildren Genevieve and Andrew.

Isabel Hogan is a family
friend; Shirley Kennard is one
of Bill's daughters.

References / Links

Sydney Morning Herald, 27
September 2001

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